FORMER Swansea City assistant manager Peter Nicholas is on the verge of a sensational return to the Vetch Field.

The Third Division club's five-man board are considering asking Nicholas, controversially sacked along with former Swans manager Colin Addison last March, to work alongside player-coach Nick Cusack.

Cusack, under pressure after a dismal start to the season that his seen his Swans slip into the relegation zone, missed training yesterday because he was locked in talks with directors for three hours, first with club chief executive Don Goss and then Huw Jenkins.

It is understood that there will be no changes to the Cusack-Alan Curtis coaching team before tomorrow's crucial match at bottom club Boston but Nicholas might be installed for Saturday's home match against Torquay at the Vetch.

Whether Cusack will find his position untenable following the arrival of another coach remains to be seen. It will also raise questions over the future of C u r t i s , Cusack's assistant.

If 42-year-old Nicholas, currently in charge of League of Wales club Llanelli, does return to Swansea it would herald a remarkable U-turn for the former Wales international midfielder.

After he and Addison were shown the door for financial reasons he blasted the Swans board as "wheel tappers and shunters".

But the former Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Chelsea player said he would consider rejoining the Swans.

"As long as it's OK with Llanelli I'd be happy to help Swansea out," he said.

"If I'm asked to give a hand at Swansea I would do so.

"I don't hold any grudges against the club for what happened earlier in the year. I criticised them at the time but I was emotional because of what

"But that's all history now. It's all over and done with. I don't like seeing Swansea in the situation they are in at the moment. It's not good for Welsh football."

The Swansea board are looking to recruit a new face on the coaching staff following a torrid start to the 2002-03 campaign despite Cusack signing 10 new players during the summer.

This season two clubs from Division Three will be relegated to the Nationwide Conference - and Swansea currently occupy one of those positions.

Former Wrexham manager Brian Flynn has been linked with Cusack's job, so too has former Tranmere